Resource Zones
The resource system is the single most important mechanic on EarthStonks. Unlike vanilla Minecraft, strategic resources do not spawn randomly across the map. Instead, they are tied to real-world geographic locations — modeled after actual mines, oil fields, and mineral deposits on Earth.
This creates genuine scarcity. Not every town can be self-sufficient. Not every nation can afford to grow. Control over resource zones is the foundation of every war, trade deal, and alliance on the server.
Strategic vs Common Resources
Strategic Resources
These resources only exist inside designated green zones on the map. You will not find ore blocks — you mine Stone within a claimed zone and the resource drops from it.
| Resource | Used For | Where Found |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | Small town upkeep (1–50 chunks) | Brazil (Carajás), Australia (Hamersley, Yandi, Newman), Sweden (Kiruna), Ukraine, South Africa (Sishen), Guinea (Simandou), India (Bailadila) |
| Gold | Medium town upkeep (51–100 chunks) | Indonesia (Grasberg), Uzbekistan (Muruntau), Russia (Olimpiada), USA Nevada (Cortez, Carlin), Australia (Boddington, Cadia), Papua New Guinea (Lihir), Peru (Yanacocha), Dominican Republic (Pueblo Viejo) |
| Diamond | Trade & high-value economy | Botswana (Orapa, Jwaneng), South Africa (Kimberley, Venetia), Angola (Catoca), Canada (Diavik, Ekati), Australia (Argyle), Russia (Udachny, Jubilee) |
| Oil | Large empire upkeep (100+ chunks) | Saudi Arabia (Ghawar, Safaniya, Shaybah, Abqaiq), Kuwait (Burgan), Iran (Gachsaran, Ahvaz), UAE (Upper Zakum), Iraq (West Qurna), Kazakhstan (Tengiz), Venezuela (Bolívar), Russia (Romashkino, Samotlor), Canada (Athabasca), Mexico (Cantarell) |
| Copper | Trade & crafting | Chile (Escondida, Collahuasi, El Teniente, Chuquicamata), Peru (Cerro Verde), USA (Morenci, Bingham), Mexico (Buenavista), DRC Congo (Kamoa), Indonesia (Grasberg) |
Common Resources
These spawn normally across the entire map and do not require zone control:
- Coal
- Redstone
- Lapis Lazuli
- Emerald
Common resources are your bread and butter for early income — mine them with a Miner job and sell via /shop.
Green Zones — How They Work
Green zones are protected WorldGuard regions placed at geographically accurate locations across the Earth map. Each zone is named after the real-world mine or oil field it represents — for example, a diamond zone might be named after the Kimberley Mine in South Africa.
How to Mine in a Zone
- Locate the zone on the live map
- Claim land inside the zone — either your town's territory or an outpost
- Mine Stone within your claimed land inside the zone
- The strategic resource drops from the Stone — there are no visible ore blocks
Resource Requirements by Town Size
Town upkeep is stacking — not tiered. As you expand, new resource costs are added on top of existing ones. You will always pay Iron; Gold and Oil kick in as your town grows.
Iron — Every Town, Every Chunk
1 Iron per chunk per day, always. A 20-chunk town needs 20 Iron. A 200-chunk empire needs 200 Iron (or 400 at "The Wall"). Iron zones are the most common strategic resource — secure one before anything else.
Gold — Added at 51+ Chunks
Once you exceed 50 chunks, Gold is added: 0.5 Gold per chunk above 50. At 89 chunks that's 20 Gold on top of your full Iron cost. Start securing a Gold zone before you approach the 50-chunk threshold or you'll be caught off-guard.
Oil — Added at 101+ Chunks
Large empires pay Oil too: 0.2 Oil per chunk above 100. At 150 chunks that's 10 Oil daily — on top of 150 Iron and 50 Gold. Oil is the rarest resource on the server. Nations frequently go to war over it.
The Wall — 201+ Chunks
Towns that exceed 200 chunks hit The Wall: all resource costs double. Expansion beyond 200 is possible but extremely expensive. Most players cap growth before this threshold.
Resource Strategy
Control vs Trade
You have two fundamental strategies for securing resources:
- Control — claim the zone yourself (or through an outpost) and mine directly. Requires upfront investment but gives you independence.
- Trade — buy resources from players who control zones. Faster to set up, but you are dependent on their prices and supply decisions.
Market Power
If your town or nation controls a key resource zone, you have significant market leverage. Other towns need your resource to survive. You can set your own prices, form trade agreements, or deny supply to enemies entirely. This is how resource wars start.
Scarcity & War
Because strategic resources are geographically fixed, they are inherently scarce relative to the number of players who need them. When diplomacy fails, the SiegeWar system allows you to take resource zones by force — occupying a defeated town cuts off their production and puts you in control of that zone.